Sports Blitz: ‘The Walking Dead’ season 2 begins filming ... oh wait, those are the Atlanta Hawks

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  • Kirk Hinrich (center) hasn’t made the impact the Hawks would have hoped.

>>The Atlanta Hawks died last night at the age of 43 due to congestive heart failure and a lack of coaching. They leave behind two children, a labradoodle and a first round exit from the NBA Playoffs. There’s nothing about a 33-point loss to the Eastern Conference leading Bulls that gives us confidence about the future of this organization. We actually believed that Kirk Hinrich (zero points, two turnovers) was a smart addition, but now it seems more like the equivalent of a middle-aged man buying Spanx to fit into a small pair of pants. (SI.com)

>>The Braves have decided to retire former manager Bobby Cox’s No. 6 jersey. The day of appreciation is scheduled for Aug. 12 against the Cubs. Cox will also enter the organization’s Hall of Fame that includes such greats as Dale Murphy, Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine and Fred McGriff’s copies of the Tom Emanski baseball training video collection. (Braves.com)

>>Remember former Falcon T.J. Duckett? (Yes, it took us a minute as well.) He’s decided to shave his beard for a good cause. That totally makes up for the first round draft pick we blew on him. (Huffington Post)

>>Just a reminder, the Atlanta Silverbacks get their new season underway on April 9. But if you don’t want to wait that long, the soccer club will hold exhibition matches at Georgia State (March 26) and home against Clayton State on March 30. Fun fact: If you look at the North American Soccer League standings, the Silverbacks are currently in first place. So, go team. Way to take advantage of the alphabet.

>>We just noticed the Thrashers host the Penguins on April 10, and the game is on national television. NBC will feature the 3 p.m. matchup. Catching hockey on The Big Three is a little bit like snagging a photo of Big Foot, so tune in.

>>Obligatory NFL Labor Note: League commissioner Roger Goodell says the NFL won’t consider using replacement players. That’s unfortunate as we were really hoping to see Falco get another shot. (ESPN.com)